Dynamics of Animal Husbandry Production in the Sverdlovsk region in the First Post-war Years (1946-1950)

The article analyzes the dynamics of the gross production of the main livestock products in the Sverdlovsk region in one of the most interesting and problematic periods in the history of the Soviet state. The novelty of the study is ensured by the use of mostly unpublished materials from five state and departmental archives. The paper studies the dynamics of livestock production in monetary and natural (honey, milk, meat, wool, eggs) types in 1946–1950, a comparative analysis is carried out with the results of the development of the industry on the eve and at the end of the Great Patriotic War. It has been established that animal husbandry in the Sverdlovsk region emerged from the war in a better condition than in the whole country, and the most difficult years for it were 1946–1947. Starting from 1948, there was an increase in the production of meat, milk, wool and eggs in the region. As a result, in the five post-war years, the gross output of the industry in the Sverdlovsk region in value terms increased by more than a quarter. At the same time, during the years of the fourth five-year plan, the average annual production in the industry significantly exceeded the level of both 1945 and 1940. It was established that the main producer in animal husbandry were individual farms of the population, which accounted for almost 2/3 of the products received. The authors come to the conclusion that this happened, despite the various restrictions of the state on its development. A feature of the Sverdlovsk region in those years was the fact that among all categories of producers, the farms of workers and employees provided the most livestock products, which can be explained by the industrial specialization of the territory and the high proportion of the urban population in it.